The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-07-17
BURNED TO A CRISP
In a Railway Accident at St
Thomas, Ontario.
A MOST HORRIBLE DISASTER
Nineteen KAIed and Forty Injured
OIL Tanks Explode, Scattering Fire
anu Death on All Hands.
ATerribIe Tragedy.

ST. THOMAS, Out, July 16.-A terrible
accident occurred at the crossing of the
Grand Trunk and Michigan Central
railways in this city about O'Clock last
evening. An excursion train on the
Grand Trunk from Port Stanley, ran
into a passing freight train on the
Michigan Central, made up of number
of cars with oil. The engine crashed
into one of these cars, when the oil in
stantly took fire and burned with great
ferceness, communicating to the cars
on both trains, and extending to Grit
fms warehouse, the coal and lime sheds
adjoining the track on the west, and
John Camnbell's dwelling on the east,
all of which were burned 10 the ground
with their contents. Engineer Donelly
OF the excursion train was burned. His
fireman jumped and escaped with light
injuries. The forward car of the eXcur-
sion was filed with passengers who
made frantic efforts to escape, but not
Withstanding that hundreds of brave
and willing hands were Immediately at
work to assist in their rescue, it is
feared a number of lives have been lost
and that they will be burned beyond re-
cognition be ore their bodies can be got
out of the wreck. At o'clock, when
l 900 people were crowding around the
burning pile, one of the oil tanks on
car suddenly exploded, throwing humid
reds to the ground with great force and
scattering the fire in all directions and
severely, perhaps fatally, injuring
many. At 80 o'clock nine bodies were
taken out. They were burned to crisp.
It is almost Impossible to ascertain
with any certainty the names OF those
lost in the wreck, till the arrival of the
train from Port Stanley. There are
almost certain that Engineer Donnelly,
Mr.. Zealand, clerk in ]. W. Nickle-
borough's dry good store, and child,
and the wife and child of James
Smithers, dry goods merchant, were
burned to death. A son of Mr.. Potts,
master mechanic of the Michigan
Central Railway, was burned on the
neck and scores of others were injured
who were taken to their homes before
their names could be learned. Gangs
of men under the direction of Superin-
tendent Morfhre and Assistant Superin-
tendent Morehead of the Michigan
Central Railway. and J. Stewart, agent
for the Great Trunk Railway. are hard
at work moving the debris, and it is
expected the track will be cleared by
daylight. The telegraph wires were
destroyed and several poles have been
burned, thus interrupting communica-
ton.
ST. THOMAS, Ont, July 16 The num-
Der killed in the railroad disaster yes
terday was nineteen, and injured about
forty. After the collision occurred, the
passengers commenced emerging from
the car windows, every available means
of egress being taken advantage of.
The majority of the passengers in the
car next to the engine had been got out
when the engine plunged into the
train. Engineer DoneIy was found in
the cab, with his hand still on the
lever, as if endeavoring to make the air
brakes work To add additional horror
to the affair, the section train into
which the engine of the passenger train
ploughed, consisted of two cars contain
ing tanks of crude oil and car loaded
with barrels of refined oil, and almost
before the passengers heard the crash
of the collision, it was followed by a
tremendous explosion which could be
heard for miles. A pyramid of red fire
and black clouds lowered up in the air,
and in moment sheets of fire reached
out and enveloped cars, dwellings and
warehouses in the vicinity. Burning
oil was scattered around in all direc-
tons, setting fire to Grifin's coal and
salt warehouses, ]. L. Campbell's dwell
ing and warehouse, and other struc-
lures in the vicinity, destroying all
these, causing loss of about $50, 900.
The number of casualties reported is
fully LOCO, No further deaths have
been reported. An investigation will
be held in regard to the cause of the
accident. 1t is claimed the main cause
of the disaster was the failure of the
air brakes to work. The track is now
clear and the wires will be in working
order shortly. r 4e.lt-